The present invention relates to a process for producing, from aggregates together with a binder, balusters and monopiece columns having an appearance, a consistency and a behaviour which are at least on the same level as those obtained by conventional methods.
The process of the invention employs a metal core on which there are deposited, in successive layers, aggregates having different granulometries and proportionings, together with the suitable binder, thereby thickening the core until a desired final volume and shape is obtained.
Balusters traditionally have been constructed from stone, whereby skillful craftsmen are required. However, the progressive increase of the cost of manual labour has increased the cost of such balusters until it has become completely prohibitive. Therefore, it has become cheaper to demolish existing balusters in need of repair and to replace them with railings than to undertake substantial repair of such balusters.
An alternative resides in forming molded balusters by filling, with the inclusion of a framework, the interior of a negative mold in which a mass of concrete is compacted and after a presetting time has lapsed, removing the mold, thus obtaining positive copies. This process nevertheless has two main disadvantages: the construction of the mold and the need for superfine aggregate enriched proportionings.
In fact, the mold is expensive and remains filled, during the presetting time, with the mass to be molded. Therefore, the mold is inoperative for a period of time of from 50 to 60 times greater than the actual molding time.
Under these circumstances, production is very slow and many molds are required, with the result that the profitability of the mold is not acceptable.
On the other hand, the mass to be molded should have a binder-enriched proportioning and a sufficiently fine sand should be used as the aggregate, to facilitate a finish similar to that of stone. Thus, although the molded baluster is much cheaper than that of stone, it still is so expensive that the utilization thereof is rejected by builders, to the detriment of the nobility of the architecture, with resort to more simple and much less monumental styles.
However, gardens and palaces still must be reconstructed, enlarged and even planned and, therefore, balusters still have a market.